Pirates

Don’t forget we have a game tomorrow evening at the Middle School. Please be there by 6:30pm.

The Festival is Saturday, February 7, from 5-7pm. Please let me know if you will be able to attend. The flier is available for your review in the Team Documents section of the website.

Lastly, there is a college game tonight on ESPN at 7pm that all players should watch, Duke vs. Wake Forest. Everyone watch their position, this is homework and we will have a test on it at practice on Friday. The guards should watch Jeff Teague #0 and LD Williams #42 on Wake Forest and Nolan Smith #2 and Greg Paulus #3 on Duke. The forwards should watch Kyle Singler #12 and Gerald Henderson #15 on Duke. The forwards should watch Al-Farouq Aminu #1 and James Johnson #23 on Wake Forest. The centers should watch Chas McFarland #13 on Wake Forest and Brian Zoubek #55 on Duke.

Because of the bad weather and school closings, practice is cancelled for tonight.

Don’t forget we have a game tomorrow evening at the Middle School. Please be there by 6:30pm.

We’re also trying to get a headcount of those kids planning to attend the Basketball Festival hosted by the North Plainfield Recreation Department. Being that the kids in the Traveling Program have a higher skill set, the Rec department is looking for us to have a lead role in the event. The Festival is Saturday, February 7, from 7-9pm. Please let me know if you will be able to attend. The flier is available for your review in the Team Documents section of the website.

Thanks

What stands out most in the minds of basketball fans around the world is the flashy T-Mac drive, spin and dunk or the fierce dunk over three defenders by Shaq, but it has been said that defense wins games. The Detroit Pistons of recent times were a prime example of that. Although they definitely could score, it was their swarming defense that won them the NBA title.

Basketball Defense Tip #1 – Defense is a state of mind, an attitude. Your desire, hustle and level of energy are as much important if not more than your skill. You should be a proactive player, not a reactive player.

Your main focus is always an urgent "get that ball back". The attitude, concentration and teamwork you bring to the game are key elements to success. The skills of defense can be taught; only you can develop the desire to win.

Basketball Defense Tip #2 – Transition play is one of the essentials of defense. You must get back to your defensive assignment quickly. Avoid letting the offense beat you down court. All too often players get lazy or waste time arguing a no-call; don’t let that happen to you. Hustle back down court and get that ball back!

Basketball Defense Tip #3 – Another essential is defending with a purpose. Mainly, prevent easy shots and get that ball back (heard that somewhere?) through steals or rebounds. Make the offense earn their points. Make them score under pressure.

Basketball Defense Tip #4 – Always apply pressure and stay low. Usually your head will be level with the ball-handler’s chest. Keep yourself positioned between the basket and the ballhandler. Wave your hands, make noises, anything to distract your opponent. You can even fake body movements such as pretending to charge the ball. The main thing is to stay low and apply pressure.

Basketball Defense Tip #5 – When guarding a player with the ball, always be ready. You should have one foot forward, the foot opposite of the ball-handler’s most dominant hand. If he is right handed, your left foot will be forward along with your left hand extended out, palm up. This will allow you to quickly flick at and steal the ball.

Usually you will keep that lead hand at whatever level the ball is; if the ball is low, so is your lead hand. If the ball is being held high, turn your palm so it facing the ball. You should also be waving your off hand so you can prevent the passing lane.

Basketball Defense Tip #6 – Position yourself between the ball-handler and the basket at all times. Cut off his path by maintaining your position between him and the basket by sliding over and staying in front of him. Don’t cross your feet.

If the ball handler gets by you, sprint to reestablish your defensive position between the ball-handler and the basket. A player without the ball should be able to sprint faster than a player dribbling the ball. Keep a cushion between you and the ball-handler. If he tries a spin move or reverse and you are too close, you could end up with an unnecessary foul. Always prevent penetration first, then pressure the ball.

If he stops his dribble, attack the ball while staying in your defensive stance. Try to force a bad pass or you can back off a little if the ball handler is out of shooting range, but always avoid the unnecessary fouls.

There are a number of different basketball defense tips, techniques and drills. Each position has its own special requirements, but the one common denominator is to prevent the offense from scoring easy or uncontested points. Always apply pressure by staying low and positioning yourself between the ball-handler and the basket. If you can master that you will be well on your way to earning a nickname like "The Glove" (Gary Payton) and winning defensive player of the year!

Saint Anthony and Saint Patrick Featured In
Sixth Annual Scholarship Fund Basketball Festival

NEWARK – The sixth annual Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Basketball Festival will again feature two of the top high school teams in the country. Saint Patrick High School will face Lakewood High School in the first game on Saturday, January 3rd at Kean University starting at 12:30 pm followed by Saint Anthony High School battling Monsignor Donovan High School.

"We are extremely privileged to have both Saint Anthony and Saint Patrick again playing in the SFIC Basketball Festival," explained Festival Executive Director Bill Fitzpatrick. "These two teams continually support the SFIC year after year. It gives our fans a chance to see outstanding high school basketball in a doubleheader that is always exciting and plenty of fun. At the same time, their support helps our kids."

Saint Anthony, coached by Bob Hurley, is coming off a dream season where it was undefeated and played outstanding basketball all season long. The Friars have won two national championships and 25 state titles under Hurley and have never lost in the SFIC Festival.

Coach Kevin Boyle figures to have his usual exciting team at Saint Patrick. He will play a national type schedule with trips to Florida and South Carolina early in the season before playing his usual strong New Jersey schedule.

The Basketball Festival raises money to help the SFIC impact the lives of thousands of inner-city children by enabling them to attend private and parochial schools in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union Counties with scholarships. Since 1983, the SFIC has generated over $30 million for scholarships.

Tickets for the SFIC Basketball Festival are priced at $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for students and may be purchased by logging onto www.basketballfestival.com or calling (877) 748-4667.

West End won’t be available tomorrow evening, so there won’t be basketball practice on Friday. Plus, with the blizzard-like conditions they’re predicting, it’s a good idea to stay home anyway.

Assuming we get all the snow they think we’re going to get, the Saturday Rec games may be cancelled. If that is the case, I imagine you will hear from the respective coaches.

Thanks